Spark-plug.



i 0. A. PETERSON.

SPARK PLUG.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.28, 1914.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

I 1N1? r ICE err @FFJWE.

CHARLES A. PETERSON, 0F NORTHOME. MINNES O'IA.

SPARK-PLUG.

messes.

Application filed February 28, 1914.

.and the object of the invention is to produce more than one spark upon the closing of a circuit through the electrodes of the plug.

A further object of the invention is to provide a spark plug so constructed that more than one spark may be created at the time of 'the closing of the circuit through the plug and in which a number of sparks within certain limits may be predetermined by the adjustments of the electrode sections. I

A further object of the invention is to so construct the plug that a plurality of sparks are produced, the sparking points being so disposed that the whole force of the current has to jump from one point to the next adj a cent point whereby a quicker explosion of gas will be secured, and whereby if some of the spark gaps are short circuited, the gas will still be exploded as long as even one pa1r of spark points remains unfouled.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a spark plug constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section therethrough, taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is an under side plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4C is a cross section on the line 4: l of Fig. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the pairs of spark points.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated -in all the views of the accompanying drawings by the same reference characters.

Referring to these drawings, 2 designates the insulating core which may be made of porcelain, mica or any other suitable material. Surrounding this core is the bushing or shell 3 screw threaded for engagement within the cylinder of an engine and in teriorly screw threaded at 5 for engagement with the exteriorly screw threaded sleeve 6. The bushing 3 or shell carries upon it the downwardly extending electrode 7 which is thus grounded through the engine. All these Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

Serial No. 821,702.

parts are of any usual or ordinary construction.

Passing longitudinally through the insulating core 2 is an electrode 8 which is adapted to be connected to a wire leading .to a source of current by means of the usual binding nut 9. As will be seen from Fig. 2

the electrode 8 is deflected about midway'of its length and passes diagonally through the core toward the outer periphery thereof and protrudes through the lower end of the core adjacent the periphery as at 8 Disposed within the core 2 are a plurality of conductor sections, each section consisting of a wire as illustrated in Fig. 5 bent upon itself at '9, the two arms 10 of the sections extending down in approximately parallel relation when inserted within the core, the ends of these arms being divergently bent as at 11 to provide sparking points or terminals. As many of these conductor sections are used as may be desired and as illus trated there are three of these conductor sections disposed in series at spaced intervals around the core. The first conductor section a coacts with the electrode 8*. The spark then jumps from the conductor section a to the conductor section b and from thence to the conductor section 0 and from thence to the terminal 7. It will be noted that a considerable portion of the arms of each conductor section extends downward below the lower end of the insulating core, thus leaving these arms free to be bent so as to bring the sparking points of one section nearer to or farther from the sparking points of the next adjacent sections and thus either increase or decrease the spark gap or close the gap between the sections altogether.

lVhile I have shown each conductor section as being made of a folded strip of wire, I wish it understood that it might be made of two pieces in electrical contact with each other without in any manner departing from the spirit of the invention.

The operation of my invention will be evident from what has gone before. When a circuit is closed through the electrode 8, the spark will jump from the terminal 8 to the adjacent spark point 11 of section a, thence jump to the spark points of the section b, thence to the spark points of the section a and thence to the electrode or terminal 7, thus completing the circuit. Inasmuch as the conducting sections are made of wire or like flexible material, they may be easily bent so as to bring the points into greater or less adjacency or into contact with each other. Thus the plug can be so arranged as to give one spark, two sparks, three sparks and four sparks.

It will be obvious that the principle of my carrying a grounded electrode, an insulating core, an electrode extending entirely through the insulating core, and a. series of conducting sections disposed in spaced relation to each other and within the core, each of said sections consisting of a wire bent upon itself to provide parallel arms, the extremities of said'arms being divergently bent whereby to 20 provide a plurality of spaced sparking points and a plurality of spark gaps between said sparking points. 7

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. PETERSON. [1,. s.]

Witnesses:

M. G. ENGELRING, I. E. QUERSON. 

